- Title: RHODESIA: PREMIER IAN SMITH ANNOUNCES "ONE MAN ONE VOTE".
- Date: 24th November 1977
- Summary: 1. SCU Smith's speech 2.37 SMITH: "The Black leaders, without exception impressed upon me that the only way of successfully launching the negotiations would be for Government to make a firm commitment to the principle of majority rule based on adult suffrage. I pointed out that my Government's interest in a qualified franchise was as a means of ensuring the maintenance, not only of standards, but also of the confidence of White Rhodesians. Constitutional and other evidence now available indicated that there were other, and possibly better, ways of maintaining standards and retaining this confidence than by means of a qualified franchise. Accordingly Government would reserve the right to pursue these aspects in any constitutional negotiations. The Black political leaders fully endorsed the desirability of retaining White confidence, and accepted Government's right to follow this course at the conference table. In view of this undertaking, Government is prepared to enter the negotiations, on the understanding that if their requirements in this regard are met they will accept the principle of majority rule based on adult suffrage. I have been in touch with the leaders of the internally based political parties continually. I am on record on previous occasions as saying there are in the main three locally based political parties, and that they represent the lion's share of the thinking of Black Rhodesians. Assessments have been made that this amounts to about 85 or 86 per cent of Black Rhodesians. The three concerned are, as I think you are well aware, the, they are known the Muzorewa faction of the ANC, the Sithole faction of the ANC, and then there is ZUPO." Initials VS 22.25 EUROVISION SATELLITE TELERECORDING Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 9th December 1977 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BULAWAYO, RHODESIA
- Country: Zimbabwe
- Reuters ID: LVA1REI85ENXIAG5MQGGCNYPCDH2
- Story Text: Premier Ian Smith said on Thursday that he was prepared to concede one-man, one-vote to Rhodesia's 6.5 million blacks and 268,000 whites in order to launch successful settlement negotiations with Nationalist leaders living in the country.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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